Boiler cleaner



C. L. HOWSE BOILER CLEANER Sept. 12, 1933.

Filed Sept. 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l I IHHIIIHHHIllllllllllllIll INVENTOR Car (:6 flaws e ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1933. Q HQWSE 1,926,235

BOILER CLEANER Filed Sept. 8. 1930 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Car tzs A, .flawge mW/wm W Patented Sept. 12, 1933 PATEN'l OFFICE BOILER CLEANER Curtis L. Howse, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Diamond Power Specialty Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 8, 1930 Serial No. 480,578

7 Claims. (01. 122-392) This invention relates to boiler cleaners and has particular reference to a boiler cleaner of the character in which a blower element is adapted to direct jets of cleaning fluid adjacent the portions of the boiler to be cleaned,

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide means for supplying several different kinds of cleaning fluid to the blower element for discharge adjacent the portions of the boiler to be cleaned whereby a more efiicient cleaning of the boiler may be effected.

A further objectof this invention is to provide an improved means for mixing with the usual cleaning fluid an additional cleaning substance and to provide a construction in which the supply of the additional cleaning substance to the blower element willbe dependent upon the supply of the usual cleaning fluid to the blower element.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, together with the numerous novel details,

of construction thereof, will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, particularly when referenceis had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a boiler cleaner constructed'in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1; and

the soot and the like deposited on the same. For

this purpose the blower element is generally supplied with steam, air or some other fluid under pressure. It frequently happens, however, that 7 portions of the boiler become coated with an accumulation of slag which cannot be removed by the force of the jets of cleaning fluid and it therefore becomes necessary to subject these portions of the boiler to an additional cleaning action. Accordingly, the present invention contemplates the provision of means for mixing an additional cleaning substance with the steam or air nor--.

mally supplied to the blower element; Which additional cleaningsubstance may be in the form of Water or any other fluidhaving the desired characteristics. It has been found that water is.

,may be utilized for supplying any mixture of 4 element imposition.

it has heretofore been the I soot blowerelement. A short pipe or nipple 36 particularly effective for this purpose in that it acts to chill and crack the slag or similar deposits and accordingly the invention will be' described as embodied'in a construction in which Water is mixed with steam for supply to the blower element. It is to lie-understood, however, that the substances referred to in the description are for the purposes of illustration only and that the structure disclosed in' this application cleaning substances to a blower, element.

Referring then more particularly to the drawlngs wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout all views, there is shown in Figure 1 a blower element 10 which: projects through an opening 11 in the boiler wall 12. This blower element is provided with the discharge nozzles 13 for directing jets of cleaning fluid adjacent the portions of the boiler to be cleaned, such, for example, as the boiler tubes"? 14. In accordance with the usual practice, a wall box 15 may be mounted in the opening 11 and a floating support. 16 may be carried by this wall box to facilitate the supporting of the blower At its outer end the blower element is rotatably fjournal ed asat 1'7 in'the upper end of a gooseneck 18 which forms part of a blower head designated generally bythe reference character 19. The gooseneck 18 provides means for conductingcleaning fluid such as steam or the like from a supply pipe 20 to theopen end of the blower element. A valve 21, mounted in a valve casing formed on the lower end of the gooseneck 18, is arranged to control the flow of cleaning fluid from the supply pipe through the gooseneck to the blower element. For rotating the blower element there is provided a sheave wheel 23 adapted to be driven by a suitableflexible mem- I her (not shown), this sheave wheel being arranged to drive the pinion 24 inengagement with the gear 25 fixed to the blower element. A cam 26 rotatable with the gear 25 is arranged toactuate a lever 27 upon rotation of the blower element, this" lever being in turn arranged to depress the valve stem 28 and toopen the valve 21 against the tension of the spring 29. The above construction is substantially standard construction and forms no part of the present invention except in so far as it is combined with the structure about to be described;

For supplying an additional cleaning substance to the blower element, a boss 35 may be formed on the gooseneck in alignment with the is tapped into this boss and mounted on the outer end of this nipple is a casing 37. This casing is chambered to provide the cylinder 38 which is in communication with the nipple 36 and thus with the gooseneck.

Adjacent its lower end the casing 3'7- isprovided interiorly with :a flange 39 which is bored as at 40 to provide a passage which communicates with a pipe 41 which is tapped into the lower end of the casing. The pipe 41 may be connected; to any suitable source of additional cleaning substance and if water is to be used as the addi tional cleaning substance, this pipe may be conveniently connected'with the feed water line of the boiler.

Mounted for reciprocation in the. cylinder 38 is a piston 42 provided with the piston rings 43 to prevent the flow of water or the like to a point above the piston. The piston is provided with'a depending portion 44 which is beveled as at 45 to provide a valve portion adapted to engage the beveled seat 46 which surrounds the upper end of the bore or pa'ssage'40. Thus, in its lowermost position the depending portion of the piston closes communication between the inlet pipe 41 and the nipple 36.

The piston 42 is preferably of hollow construciton, and'a'spring 47 is mounted on the interior thereof. This spring is located between two retainers :48 and 49, the latter being mounted for adjustment by an adjusting screw-50 threadedly mounted in a plug 51 which closes the top ofthe cylinder. A look nut 52 may be provided for retaining the adjusting screw in any desired adjusted position. To provide means for draining, to any suitable point, any water or the like which escapes past the piston 42, there may be provided a small leak-oi? pipe 53 which is tapped into the upper end ofv the cylinder above the piston, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

In operation, upon rotation of the blower element by the sheave wheel 23 and associated structure, the trigger or lever 27 will be depressed to open the valve 21. Cleaning fluid, such as steam or air under pressure, will then flow from the supply pipe 20 through the gooseneck. and to the blower element. The pressure of this cleaning fluid acting on the under side of the piston 42 'will raise this piston and open the valve 44 to admit water or any other desired cleaning substance from the pipe 41 to the nipple 36 and thus to, the gooseneck. It is important that the additional cleaning substance be supplied to the pipe 41 at a greater pressure than the cleaning fluid in the gooseneck so that this additional cleaning substance will be sprayed into the gooseneck where it will mix with the cleaning fluid passing to the blower element. As soon as the valve 21 is closed, as for example, by passing of the end of the cam out of engagement with the upper end of the trigger 2'7,the pressure on the lower end of the piston will be relieved and the spring 4'? will force the valve 44 to its seat to thus cut oil the flow of water or the like from pipe 41 to nipple 36.

In Figure 3 a slightly modified form of construction is shown. By reference to this figure, it will be noted that there is provided a supply pipe 41' arranged to supply an additional cleaning substance to the valve casing '37. A nipple 36' is tapped into the valve casing, but instead of being tapped into the gooseneck 18 at a point in alignment with the blower element, this nipple is rather tapped into the side of the gooseneck at a point directly above the valve 21. It is cusand cleaning fluid under pressure is supplied to the gooseneck, the valve 44 in the valve casing will be opened to permit the flow of an additional cleaning substance from the supply pipe 41 to the gooseneck and thus to the blower element.

From the above it will be noted that the invention provides means for controlling the supply of cleaning fluid under pressure, such as steam, air, or the like, to a blower element. This means includes a valve actuated upon rotationof the blowerelement, although it is to beunderstood that this valve may be actuated inany other manner if desired. The'invention further provides, however, that whenever the usual cleaning fluid is supplied to the blower head for supply to the blower element, the pressure of this cleaning fluid will actuate an auxiliary valve which will permit the flow of an additional cleaning substance to the blower head for supply to the blowerelernent.

Thus, the supply of additional cleaning substance T is dependent upon the supply of the usual cleaning fluid to the blower element. Further, it will be noted that the additional cleaning fluid will be sprayed into the gooseneck where it will be thoroughly mixed with the cleaning fluid in the' gooseneck so that the two cleaning fluids will be intimately mixed prior to their supply to the blower-element and thus prior to their discharge adjacent the portions of the boiler to be cleaned.

While the-invention has "been described with considerable detail it is to be clearly understood that the description is for the purposes of illus- 'trationonly and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. Further, while the invention has been described as being embodied in a boiler cleaner for cleaning parts of a boiler, it will be apparent that the invention might also be incorporated in devices for cleaning apparatuses similar to boilers. It is to be therefore understood that the'term boiler whereverused throughout the specification;and claims is to be construed as meaning a fluid heater or heat transfer apparatusoi any character, while the term boiler cleaner is to be construed as meaning a cleaner for any such type of apparatus. The right is therefore reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the'purview of the attached claims. v 7

What I claim as my invention is:

V 1..In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a movable blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of cleaning fluid to the blower element, and means for actuating said valve upon 2. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with:

a rotatable blower element, means including a gooseneck in which one end of said blower element is rotatably journaled for supplying cleaning fluid to the blower element, a valve for controlling the admission of cleaning fluid to the gooseneck, and means for actuating said valve in timed relation to the rotation of the blower element, of a source of supply of an additional cleaning substance under higher pressure than said cleaning fluid, and means responsive to the pressure of the cleaning fluid in the gooseneck for effecting a forced spraying of the additional cleaning substance into the gooseneck for mixture with the cleaning fluid therein.

3. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of cleaning fluid under pressure to said blower element, and means for actuating said valve upon rotation of the blower element, of an auxiliary valve for controlling the flow of an additional cleaning substance to the blower element, and means responsive to the pressure of the cleaning fluid supplied to said blower element upon actuation of said first mentioned valve for actuating said auxiliary valve to admit said additional cleaning substance to the blower element.

4. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element, a head in which one end of said blower element is rotatably journaled for supplying cleaning fluid to said blower element, a valve for admitting cleaning fluid under pressure to said head, and means for actuating said valve upon rotation of the blower element, of an auxiliary valve actuated in dependence upon the pressure of the cleaning fluid in said head for controlling the supply of an additional cleaning substance under pressure to said head for mixture with the cleaning fluid therein.

5. In combination, a movable blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of cleaning'fluid to the blower element, means for actuating said valve in timed relation to the movement of the blower element, and means dependent in operation upon the prior admission of cleaning fluid to the blower element to admit a second cleaning substance to the blower element.

6. In combination, a movable blower element, means to move said blower element, means for admitting. cleaning fluid to the blower element, a pressure actuated-valve for admitting an additional cleaning substance to the blower element, and means operating in timed relation to the movement of the blower element to efiect an actuation of said pressure actuated valve.

7. In a fluid heater cleaner, the combination with a movable blower element, means for moving said blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of cleaning fluid to the blower element, means for actuating .said valve, and means so interconnecting the operation of said blower element moving means and said valve actuating means that the latter is actuated in timed relation to the former, of means actuated by the a CURTIS L. HOWSE. 

